Commercial ovens provide certain unique attributes that render the end product food material, including, by way of example, breads, pizzas, and other baked goods, of a quality far and away improved over their residential counterparts. Among some of the attributes are thermal control characteristics, materials, dimensions, and overall controls that, if applied to residential ovens, would render them far too expensive and unwieldy.
It has been observed by the inventor herein, that the use of certain materials, like the ceramics or corderites, in certain manner when used in residential ovens improve the characteristics of baking, and hence the byproducts. This invention, however, is not directed to the specific oven insert that can be used for improving the quality of baking. While a component of the process, the instant invention is instead directed to a far more critical component of the baking process—steam.
Steam plays a vital role in commercial hearth ovens in which crusty style breads are baked at relatively hot temperatures approaching 500° F. The introduction of steam into commercial hearth ovens is universal. Steam is introduced generally by the introduction of hot water (sometimes under light pressure) into chambers located on the sides of the commercial hearth oven. These chambers are designed to instantaneously convert the water into steam. Often made from cast iron and loaded with metal, these chambers flood the hearth baking chamber of the oven with steam.
The introduction of steam serves several known purposes. Initially, the steam changes the dry heat atmosphere in the hearth chamber into a moist one. This in turn accomplishes two things. One, the moist steam atmosphere reinvigorates the yeast in the dough. Two, by keeping the surface of the bread dough moist, it allows the bread loaf (in whatever shape it takes) to expand in an aesthetically pleasing way. The steam generated this way prevents the loaves from bursting open in an irregular manner. Concomitantly, the steam filled chamber prevents the crust of the bread from becoming too thick.
In order to accomplish the above, the steam must remain in the hearth oven chamber for between 7 and 10 minutes. After this period the steam dissipates and the atmosphere in the oven becomes dry. This allows the crust of the bread to start the browning process, which is extremely important in imparting taste to the bread.
Often, but not necessarily, steam is reintroduced into the baking chamber during the last stage of the baking process. This aids in the caramelization of the surface of the bread which produces a dark and characteristically tasty surface, which at this stage has permeated into the crust.
Thus, it is observable that steam plays a necessary, indeed critical part in imparting the necessary quality to baked goods, and must be applied in a manner of different ways, at different times, allowing drying times in the between, in order to create a high quality bread or other baked good.
Steam introduction in commercial ovens is known, as shown in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,365,210 B1. Temperature and humidity control in commercial ovens are also known, as shown in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,347,578 B 1. However, heretofore unknown is a device that provides a controlled, doseable, amount of steam to a residential oven thereby providing the virtual equivalent control as that provided in commercial counterparts.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device for the controlled dosing of water, and hence of steam into a residential oven that will create steam in the chamber, followed by drying (if necessary), thereby rendering the resultant baked goods not simply good, but excellent, as if created in a commercial counterpart.